From nature to industry

The reuse and recycling of valuable materials belongs to the circular economy like thunder and lightning to a thunderstorm. But when recovery or recycling processes require a lot of energy and/or environmentally harmful chemicals, the concept of sustainability is taken ad absurdum.

If we closely observe and analyze the natural processes and metabolic pathways of microorganisms, we can find alternative, gentler ways to return valuable materials to the material cycle. For example, we have found special microorganisms that selectively dissolve lithium and cobalt from solids (from batteries). 

Taking natural processes and metabolic pathways of microorganisms as a model and making them industrially usable - this is exactly what we are doing at BRAIN's Zwingenberg site. Every day, every week, for 30 years.

​

‣ Microbial battery recycling